Veneer stripping and clipping machine



Jan. 19, 1932.

R W. STANLEY VENEER STRIPPING AND CLIPPING MQCHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 18,

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L Q m \i C :1 Q o N s lg A N c; A N EAEL N N IN VEN TOR.

Jan. 19,1932. R, w NL Y 1,841,854

VENEER STRIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 18, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Swuemtoz Jan 19, 1932. R. w. STANLEY VENEER STRIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 18, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

A ORNEYS.

Jan. 19, 1932. R. w. STANLEY VENEER STR IPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINE (h'ig'nalv Filed Feb. 18, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

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R. w. STANLEY VENEER STRIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINE Jan. 19, 1932.

Original Filed Feb. 18, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 19, 1932. R. w. STANLEY VENEER STRIPPIN G AND CLIPPING MACHINE Original Filed Feb; 18, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 avwe ntoz i atented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT QF-H"E RICHARD WfSTAlNLEY, F LOGKPORT, NEW YORK, A-SSIGNOR- 'IO MERRITT ENGINEER- ING- & SALES COMPANY, INC., OF LOCKPORT,.NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VENEER .STRIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINE "Original application filed February 18, 1929, Seria1N0.340,761, and. in Russia October 6, 1928. Divided and this application filed May 31, 1930, Serial No. 458,757.

This invention relates to machines for stripping sheets'of veneer or like material from a rotating block or log and for clipping thesame into short lengths, and, more particularly, to veneer lathes and-veneer lathe assemblies, and to correlatedimprovements and discoveries, wherewith and whereby the operation of the same may be enhanced.

In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a machine'of the character described which issimple andpermanent in construction, easy and economical to manufacture and assemble,andspeedy and eiiicient'in operation.

Another object is to provide a veneer lathe which is-especially simple and compact in construction and in which the likelihood of delays is minimized.

Another obj set is to provide a veneer lathe assembly including a clipper which operates with' especial speed and accuracy, which may beeasily and positively controlled and which will-slow up the operation of the associated latheto the minimnm extent.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises-the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of i parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set fort-hand the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

The present application is a. division of my eopending application Serial No. 340,761, filed February 18, 1929.

For a fuller understanding of'the nature and objects ofthe inventionreference should bolted to the foflowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

:Figure lis a side view of a machine construetedin accordancewith the'invention Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lathe viewed with the remainder of the'machine cut awav, alongithe lines 2- 2 in Figure 1';

Fig. :3 is .a view partly in elevation and partly in section, .along the lines 33 in Fig.12;

Figi lis a vertical section of 'the lathert'aken inthe direction of the arrows along the lines i-Lt iii-Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 isan end view of the clipper unit and mechanism associated I therewith Fig.6 is a section taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 66-in Fig. 5;

7 is a horizontal section taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 77 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail showing the Geneva wheel andthe manual control release clutch as viewed from-thc top;

Fig. 9 is-an enlarged detail showing the Geneva'wheel and the release clutch as viewed from the leftof Fig. 7;

"Fig. 10 is'an enlarged detail showing the operatingmechanism for the clipper-control fluid" pressure valve, as viewed from the side;

Fig. 11 is a vertical section taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 1111 in Fig, 2, showing the lathe-knife and pressurebar assembly;

12 is a vertical section taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 1212 in Fig. 3, showing certain of the operating gearing for the lathe; and

Fig. 13 is an elevation of the operating means for the lathe drive shaft.

T he invention contemplates the provision of an improved machine for stripping sheets of material from a rotating block or log and for clipping the same into short lengths, which machine is of such nature that it may be operated with eiiiciency and safety at particularly high speeds and with a minimum of attention.

While the invention is directed to machines for accomplishing a variety of results, it finds its primary application in veneer-stripping and -clippingmachines and is exemplified as embodied in such a machine. In the exemplified machine, moreover, the invention is illustrated as used in connection with a machine such as disclosed in the co-pending application of Ericsson H. Merritt, Serial No. ZBdLOl'T, filed February 18, 1929.

For the sakeof facility of expression the term veneer is used'herein to indicate any sheet of material stripped from a block or log;'the term log isused t0 indicate any block or like member from which sheets of material are to be stripped; and it is to be understood that these and other expressions used are not employed in any restricted or particular sense.

In the exemplified machine the veneer lathe shown in Figs. 2 and 3, together with its associated parts, is mounted on a frame piece 15. The machine is equipped with a pair of log-rotating spindles 16 and 17, each equipped at its inner end with a log-holding clamp 18, and provided at its outer end with a screw thread 19, which may be operated for dogging the clamp into engagement with the end of the log by any suitable means from any desired source of power. In the present instance, the screw spindle 16 is operated through the medium of a gear train 20--21 from a motor 22. and the screw spindle 17 is operated through the medium of a sprocket chain 23 from a motor 24.

Keyed to the spindles 16 and 17, respectively, are sleeves 26 and 27 each provided with a gear 28 which meshes with pinion 29 on a main drive shaft 30, which is operated by a motor 31, through the medium of gears 190, 191 and 192 and a clutch 193 (Fig. 13). The sleeves 26 and 27 are rotatably mounted in the walls of casings 32 and 33, respectively, by means including tapered roller bearings 34 which are adapted to avoid the necessity of providing separate thrust bearings for the sleeves and which also serve to increase the efliciency of the machine.

Mechanism of any well known or suitable type may be provided in order to strip the veneer from a log which is clamped between the spindles and rotated thereby. In Figs. 1 and 11 there is exemplified a pressure bar 35 and a knife 36 between which veneer sheet 38 is extruded. The lathe knife and pressure bar are suitably mounted upon a transversely-movable knife carriage 40 (Figs. 4 and 11) riding on ways 39, the knife and the plessure bar preferably being provided with suitable adjusting means, as is known practice. In order to move the carriage 40 toward the center of the log during the veneer stripping operation and in order to rapidly position the knife for stripping veneer from a new log, there are provided a pair of worms 41 which are operatively connected with a shaft 42 by means of gears 43 and 44. To withdraw the knife to permit a log to be inserted the shaft 42 is rotated in one direction by a motor 45 to which the shaft is connected by means of a clutch 46, and to move the knife against a log the shaft 42 is rotated in the other direction. \Vhen, however, the lathe knife is to be thrust regularly into the log to strip the veneer, the shaft 42 is operated from the sleeve 26 by means of suitable connections, which preferably include selective gearing or other multiple speed transmission means whereby the sprocket 201 on a shaft 202. This shaft 202 carries stepped diameter gears shown at 203, with any one of which a tumbler gear 204 (Fig. 12) is adapted to mesh. The tumbler gear is carried by a frame 205 which is rotatably mounted on. a sleeve 206 which is slidably ke ed on a shaft 207. A gear 208 meshing wit the tumbler gear 204 is keyed to the sleeve 206. At the right-hand end of the shaft 207 (Fig. there is provided a gear 209 meshing with a high ratio gear 210 which operates to rotate a shaft 211 when a clutch 212 on this shaft is thrown in.

Slidably keyed to the shaft 207 is a. ratio cluster gear assembly 213. the smaller gear of which is adapted to mesh with an intermediate ratio gear 214, and, the larger gear of which is adapted to mesh with a low ratio gear 215, the gears 214 and 215 being mounted on the shaft 211. Meshing with the gear 214 is a gear 48 which is arranged to rotate the shaft 42 when a clutch 49 is thrown in. The selective gearing, besides controlling the thickness of the veneer cut, also serves to regulate the speed of movement of the knife carriage in the rounding up process when it is desirable to strip the outer portion of a log rapidly.

It is to be observed that the connecting and selective gearing, as well as the operating gear for the shaft 16 and its bearings, are all fully enclosed within the casing 32. It is also to be observed that the entire lathe assembly, including the motors 22, 24, 31, and 45 are compactly assembled and are mounted on the unitary frame piece 15.

In order to facilitate operation of the machine and to avoid delays in operation, the controls for the various operating elements are all assembled within easy reach of a lathe operator standing at the left-hand of the veneer side of the lathe (Fig. 2). These controls comprise two-way push buttons 216 for controlling the operation of the motor 22; two-way push buttons 217 for controlling the operation of the motor 24; a lever 218 for operating the clutch 193 which operatively connects the motor 31 with the main drive shaft 30; a Wheel 219 for adjusting the pitch of the lathe knife; :1 wheel 220 for adjusting the pitch of the pressure bar; a lever 221 for tilting the pressure bar out of operative position; a tumbler 222 mounted on'a frame 205 for operating the tumbler gear 204, a lever 223 for the feed ratio control mechanism associated with the shafts 207 and 211; a l

lever 224 for operating the clutch 49, and two-way push buttons 225 for controlling the operation of the motor 45.

In order to secure against the movement of the push buttons 225 when the clutch 49 is over arplatform 51 on a-suitablerbed suchas :provided by. the moving'belts 52 to=a clipper unit, such, for example, as the unit shown inrFi-gs. and6 whichcomprises'a clipper knife 53 slidable in suitable'wa-ys in uprights 54.

Inorder to provide for an especially fast operation of the clipper knife whereby the clipper may be adapted to cut into particularly short lengths a sheet of veneer coming at relativelyfast speed from the lathe, and in order to avoid the vibration which often results atthe upper endofthestroke during the-use'of'certain types of clippers, the presentIinventioncontemplates the provision of means for imparting a down-and-up movement to 'the knife in response 'to a one-way movementof an actuating member. In the present instance toggles are provided. A plunger 55 carries'a pairof-toggle joints 56 each :having upper toggle links 57 pivotally connected to a cross-bar 5-8, and'lower toggle links 59 pivotally connected with the clipper 53.

The-sheet of-veneer isccarried past the clipper bythe belts 52 which extend about free rollers 60 (Fig. 1), mounted adjacent the lathe, and operating rollers 61 (:Fig. 7), mounted on a rotatable shaft-62. By the use of a clipper-operating arrangement such as described, a sufliciently speedy operation is provided so that the veneer'will pass substantially continuously underthe clipper,the delay in movement duringthe. cutting operation being insufficientto cause any substantial buckling ofthe sheet. Furthermore, a this arrangement eliminates the possibility of the clipper being in downward position across the path of the veneer sheet, whentheoperation of the clipper is stoppedfor-anyreason, since,'a-t acompletionof'eitherstroke of the plunger, the clipper knife will be in an upward position.

Various means for actuating the oper'ating-element such as-the plunger-55, may, of course, be-employed; but it is preferable :to use fluid pressure means for the purpose of securing the -desired speed and accuracy'of operation. To this end, the plunger 55 is connected .by means of a link 64- to the stem v65 of a two-way piston "operating in afluid pressure chamber 67, from the opposite ends of whichthereextendfluid pressure conduits .68 and-69, through which compressed air, steam or other desired fluid maybe introduced into the chambers for operating the piston. The conduits 68and'69 lead, in the present-instance,=toa control chamber in which there reciprocates a plunger 76 arranged to :act as a two-way valve 'whereby the operatingfluid which 'enters'th'e chamber 75 through an inlet conduit 77 maybe directedaeither:totthe conduit 68 orzto the conduit 69. The plunger 76 is actuated by a pivotedlink 78, the free forked end of which embraces an eccentric 79,.carried on the shaft 80 of a pinion 81. The Epinion .81 meshes with thegear v 82, rotated .by a Geneva Wheel '83, provided with founradial slots.84:. The Geneva Wheel is operated by a pin carried on a sprocket chain v86 extending over sprocket wheels 87 and '88. In orderto permit the timing ofthe fluid pressure control valve 75 to beadjustechat will, anadjustable length chain is employed and wheel 88 is adj ustably mounted with respect to the wheel 87, as by loosening-a nut-230'and movingthe head 231 ofa bolt 232 in a;slot 233. 'WVhen the clipper'is'to be operated automatically, the wheel 87 is suitably connected with a source of power. In the presentinstance it is adapted to be connected to :the shaft 62 ,(whichcarries the pulley wheel'l61 for the belt-52) bymeans OfiI'CllltChzQl operated by a control 92, thesprovision of the clutch making itpossible to disconnect the wheelr87 from the shaft 62, when desired. In Fig. '7 the clutch 91 is s'hownin operative position for rotating the wheel 87 with the shaft 62 and in Figs. 8 and 9 it is shown in inoperative 1 p osition.

In order t0;preventthe veneer from buckling afterrit approachesthe clipper,:thereare provided a plurality-ofbelts 100 each extend ing-between a free roller l0lzand=an operatingroller 102. Each roller 102ismounted on a shaft 10lwhich is operativelyconnected with a shaft 105 by suitable means su'ch-asthe sprocket chain 106. The shaft 105 carries a .gear "107 which meshes'with a gear 108 keyed to the shaft 62. As will be apparent, the weight of therollers causes thebelts 100 to bear down upon the sheet of veneer and to press the same against the belt 52 so-that'the veneer sheet is maintained flatat-this point and any buckling which might occur would be ata point sufficiently removed from the clipper so as notto interfere withethe' steady feed of the sheet to the clipper.

Suitable means are provided for driving the shaft 62. The exemplified means includcsa variable speed mechanism operatively connected with the'lat-he knife carriage, such as set "forth in the aforesaid application of Ericsson H. h Ierritt,"Ser. No. 341,017, filed February 18,1929, whereby the speed of the conveyor belts an d' the speed of operation of the clipper knife can be synchronized with the varying speed at which the'veneer leaves the log as'the lathe knife approaches the center.of t-he:log. The exemplified mechanism comprises a. bracket 110' mounted on the-lathe knife-carriage and movable therewith. To this bracket there is pivotally connected at 111 a rod 112 on the end of which the cam member 1 13 of-avariable speed mechanism is carried. Against the opposite cam surfaces of thecam'member 113 there rest a pair of rollers'114, each roller being mounted on a bar 115, pivoted at 116, and carrying a pair of members 117 against each of which there rests a. conical'member 118. Between the two pairs of conical members thus provided, there extends a belt 120. The ends of the arms 115 nearest the lathe are connected by a bar 121 carrying a spring 122, which serves to press these ends of the arms 115 together, and to press the roller 114 against the cam surfaces of the member 113. The pair of conical members 118 nearest to the cam member 113 are slidably keyed on a shaft- 123, which is 5 rotated by a suitable source of power such as a motor 124 through the medium of a shaft 125 and ears 126 and 127. The pair of conical memhers 118 farthest from the cam memher 113 are slidably keyed on a shaft 128, carrying a sprocket wheel 129 from which a sprocket chain 130 extends to a sprocket wheel 131. The wheel 131 is adapted to be connected to the shaft 62 by a suitable clutch 132 operated by a sleeve 140, which is adapted to be slid on the shaft 62 by means of a lever 141 through the medium of links 142 and 143. If desired, suitable means, such as the link 144, the shaft 145 and the lever 146, may be provided for permitting the operation of the clutch-controlling sleeve by the lathe operator. Thus 'the speed of rotation of the shaft 62, which controls the speed of operation of the clipper knife and of the belts 52, is controlled in accordance with the position of the lathe knife with respect to the log, claims to this feature being included in said (o-pending application of Eriesson H. Merritt, Serial N 0. 341,017, filed February 18, 1929.

lVhile the exemplified means for automatically operating the shaft 62 includes variable speed mechanism, it is to be understood that the shaft 62 may be operated directly from any suitable source of power, when desired.

The present invention provides a clipper which can be operated automatically at a high speed and in a highly efficient manner, and it is ordinarily so used. Often, however, because of defects which must be cut out of the sheet of veneer, or for other reasons, such as the desirability of clipping the sheet into unusual lengths, such automatic clipping is wasteful or ineffectual; and there is accor ingly provided manual means for operating the clipper, such means consisting, in the present instance, of the hand wheel 14? for rotating the sprocket wheel 88. As will be seen from Fig. 7 a brake 148 mounted on the sleeve 140 is provided as to prevent the momentum of the belts 52 and the members associated therewith from carrying the sheet of veneer forward after the clutch 132 is thrown out.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a matter of language might be said to fall thercbetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine, the combination with a lathe adapted to strip a sheet of material from a rotating log, of a clipper knife, a conveyor adapted to feed a sheet of material to the clipper knife as it comes from the lathe, conveyonoperating means, a reciprocable element, and means responsive to the operation of said operating means for actuating the reciprocable element, means to impart a forward and retractive movement to the clipper knife in response to the movement of the reciprocable element in one direction and to impart a. forward and retractive movement to the clipper knife in response to the movement of the reciprocahle element in the other direction.

2. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine. the combination with a venecrlathe having constant-speed log-rotating means and having a lathe knife movable at a constant speed into a rotating log, of a conveyor, means for operating said. conveyor at a vary ing speed dependent upon the speed of flow of veneer from the lathe knife, a clipper knife, and clipper-operating means including a reciprocable operating element and adapted to impart a forward and retractive movement to the clipper knife in response to a one-way movement of said operating element. I v

3. In a veneer stripping and clippingmachine, the combination of stripping mechanism adapted to strip veneer from a rotating log, a clipper knife, a conveyor adapted to feed to the clipper knife a sheet of veneer stripped from the log, conveyor-operating means adapted to operate the conveyor at a speed corresponding substantially with the speed of delivery of the sheet bv the stripping mechanism. a reoinrocable element, means responsive to the operation of the conveyor-operating means for actuating the reciprocable element, and means to impart a forward and retractive movement to the cl ipper knife in response to the movement of the reciprocable element in one direction and to impart a forward and retractive 'inovement of the clipper knife in response to the movement of the .reciproeable element in the other direction.

l. In a veneer stripping and clipping ma chine, the combination of stripping mechanism adapted to strip veneer from a rotating log, a clipper knife, a reciprocable element, means to impart a forward and retractive movement to the clipper knife in response to the movement of the reciprocable element in each direction, means to reciprocate said reciprocable element, and means under control of said stripping mechanism to control the operation of the last-mentioned means.

5. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine, the combination of stripping mechanism adapted to strip veneer from a rota-tinglog, a clipper knife, a reciprocable element, means to impart a forward and retractive movement to the clipper knife in response to the movement of the reciprocable element in each direction, fluid pressure operated means for reciprocating said reciprocable element, and means under control of said stripping element to regulate the operation of said fluid-pressure operated means.

6. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine, the combination of stripping mechanism adapted to strip veneer from a rotating log, a clipper knife, a reciprocable element, means to impart a forward and retractive movement to the. clipper knife in response to the movement of the reciprocable element in each direction, a piston operatively associated with said reciprocable element, means providing a chamber at each side of the piston head, means to alternately admit fluid pressure to said chambers, and means under the control of said stripping mechanism to regulate the operation of said fluid-pressure admitting means.

7. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine, the combination of stripping mechanism adapted to strip veneer from a rotating log, a clipper knife, fluid pressure operated means for operating said clipper knife, and means under control of said stripping mechanism to regulate the operation of said fluid pressure operated means.

8. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine, the combination of stripping mechanism adapted to strip veneer from a rotating log, a clipper knife, a conveyor adapted to feed to the clipper knife a sheet of veneer stripped from the log, conveyor-operating means adapted to operate the conveyor at a speed corresponding substantially with the speed of delivery of sheet by the stripping mechanism, means for operating said clipper knife, fluid-pressure operated means for actuating said knife-operating means and means under control of said conveyor-operating means for regulating the operation of said fluid pressure operated means.

9. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine, the combination of stripping mechanism adapted to strip veneer from a rotating log, a clipper knife, a conveyor adapted to feed to the clipper knife a sheet of veneer stripped from the log, conveyor-operating means adapted to operate the conveyor at a speed corresponding substantially with the speed of delivery of sheet by thestripping mechanism, a reciprocable element, means to impart a forward and retractive movement to the clipper knife in response to the move- "ment of the reciprocable element in each direction, fluid-pressure operated means for moving said reciprocable element, and means under the control of said conveyor-operating means for regulating the operation of said thud-pressure operating means.

10. In a veneer stripping and clipping machine, the combination of a veneer lathe, operating controls therefor, a veneer clipper, a conveyor adapted to carry a sheet of veneer from the lathe to the clipper, means for operating said conveyor and said clipper, means to control said operating means, a brake adapted to halt the operation of said conveyor, a control-element for said controlling means, and a control element for said brake, said operating controls and said control elements, being arranged in j uXta-position with each other for convenient position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RICHARD IV. STANLEY. 

